Big year: Joe Allen knows it's time for him to make his mark in the Liverpool side (Image: Jamie McDonald)

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There were times in the last two years that the slight, almost fragile shoulders of Joe Allen looked as if they would be crushed by the burden of expectation placed upon them.

Yet, as he prepares for his third – and, some would say, make-or- break season in a Liverpool shirt – the unassuming midfielder cuts a figure of defiance in the face of the indifference his name evokes among a section of the Reds support.

Allen has had it tough. If being unveiled as Brendan Rodgers' first and most ­important signing when the new manager arrived from Swansea two years ago wasn’t enough, the build-up offered by the Irishman placed a dead weight on the youngster’s shoulders.

Describing why he had spent an ­eye-watering £16m on a relative unknown to bring him from south Wales, Rodgers described the midfielder as the “new Xavi”.

As labels go, for a player in his position that is almost as difficult as being described as the new Messi.

Allen, though, has quietly won over Liverpool fans with his understated, but effective style, and he has also toughened up, both mentally and physically, to better prepare himself to carry the burden.

(Image: John Powell)

Asked if this is the year he must stamp his authority on the team, he replied: “It is a big year, but every year is at a club like this. You always want to stamp your authority.

“Since day one, that is what I wanted to do. With the team having good momentum, back in a quality ­competition like the Champions League, it is up to me to really make my mark and be part of a success story at this club.”

Allen made only 15 starts last season, as injury dogged his campaign. Yet the ­diminutive midfielder – at 5ft 6in, one of the smallest in the team – has been working hard to build himself up to carry that burden, with long sessions in the gym making a noticeable difference.

He laughs at the name Rodgers bestowed on him and the suggestion it could be an albatross around his neck.

“For some people, it probably is. It is some player to be compared to. I don’t take things like that too seriously,” he said.

“Some people have maybe used that in a negative way, but, from my point of view, you have to look at it as something that should flatter you. It should inspire you to become as good as someone like that.

“I certainly felt the performance levels were getting back up to what I expect from myself and a level I can perform at.”

He may be one of the quieter members of the Liverpool team , but there is no lack of confidence, even after some of the tough times he has experienced at the club.

Perhaps his lowest point was a bad miss in the Merseyside derby, but he was one of the most effective players in the title run-in. “What can I say? It has been a process over the last season.”

(Image: Alex Livesey)

Allen, with his precise passing and ball retention skills, will have a big role in any Rodgers side and believes this could be the year he can kick on and help Liverpool take the final step back to the top.

Even without Luis Suarez, he thinks that’s possible, saying: “The club are ­reinvesting in other players to make up for his loss. We have already brought in some really quality players.”